Overview
- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded Monday after residents in Escondido found a mountain lion hiding under a car and police tracked it with a drone as onlookers gathered.
- Because the area was busy and crowds formed, CDFW scientists chose to sedate the cat in stages, secure it, and move it to a controlled setting for evaluation.
- Officials reported the lion was in good health after checks, then fitted it with a tracking collar and an ear tag before releasing it near the Cleveland National Forest around 11 p.m.
- CDFW identified the animal as M129, a 2- to 3-year-old, 112-pound male likely dispersing from his mother while searching for his own territory.
- The case shows standard wildlife management at the edge of cities, where young lions sometimes roam into neighborhoods and are relocated and monitored rather than left to risk encounters with people.